Mousetrap



June 13, 1950 G. H. VAN BRUNT 2,511,519

MOUSETRAP Filed Sept. 2, 1947 l i M FIG. 3.

n IZA so 39 I4 39 FIG. 6.

I FIG. 5. 1 m .2 FIG. 4

- Q- BY i5 39 43911 l 1' L 20 U ATTORNEY Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES ram" OFFICE MOUSE-TRAP George H. Van Brunt, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 2, 1947, Serial No. 771,735

4 Claims.

This invention relates to mouse traps and in particular to a self-setting trap of the springactuated swinging striker type.

One object of the invention is to provide a mouse trap which eliminates all necessity on the part of the user to put his hands in a position of danger while setting the trap. Another object is to provide an improved self-setting trigger mechanism. Still another object is to provide a mouse trap which is automatically set by the action of swinging the spring jaw into full open position, this action resulting in a cooperative engagement between the jaw locking bar and the trigger carried on the bait holder pedal. A further object is to provide a self-setting mouse trap which is certain in its action and simple and economical to manufacture.

These and other objects are attained by my invention which will be understood from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view showing my improved mouse trap, in sprung condition;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the same;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the trap in set condition;

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the bait holder pedal and trigger;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the handle and pivot bar;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the jaw member; and

Figure '7 is an enlarged side elevational view of a portion of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings, a base member II is provided, being generally rectangular in shape, made of wood or other material sufliciently strong to provide a rigid support for the trap mechanism. At one end of the base is mounted the jaw [2 consisting of a strong piece of wire bent into a square U shape with eyelets l3 at the two ends of the wire adapted to fasten around the wire pivot bar M, which has a, handle !5 turned at right angles to the pivot bar H1 at one end and a right angled attachment bar 15A at the other end, with a loop l6 adapted to engage the side I! of the jaw member I2. The pivot bar I is mounted in loops l8 of wire staples I9 which are fastened through the wood base I! and the protruding ends 23 bent over and pressed against the underside of the base II. A divided coil spring member 2| has its two wire ends 22 engaging thesides l1 and HA of the jaw l2 to press the jaw against the base H. The trigger and bait holder pedal element is preferably made integral from a single strip of metal, the bait ho1der pedal portion 24 having a bait holding prong or tongue 25. The trigger portion 23 consists of an upwardly extending return bend 21 formed from the strip of metal whose one free end, in a generally horizontal position, constitutes the bait holder portion 24, the other free end of the metal strip, to be later described, constituting the reset holder 28 for the locking bar 3!). The return bend open end is mounted astride the bar l4, knobs 39 holding it thereon.

The return bend 2'! is provided with a hole 3! in the face opposite the bait holder portion 24, this hole being adapted to engage the pointed end 32 of the locking bar 39. The return bend 21 is also shaped on both walls at a position below the hole 3| to fit on the pivot bar 14 at the center thereof in the space between the two parts of the divided coil spring member 2|. The reset holder 23 for the locking bar 33 consists of a curved portion of the metal strip extending upwardly and away from the pivot bar and is provided with a slot 33 disposed longitudinally in a central position and having a throat 34 at the free end of the strip which is constricted to tightl fit over the locking bar 30. The slot 33 and the throat 34 are arranged so that the locking bar may be, with slight pressure, pressed through the throat portion 34 on the downward movement of the locking bar 36 during the resetting, but on the upward movement frictionally engages the edges thereof.

The locking bar 33 extends far enough away from the pivot bar 14 to allow the jaw 12 to be held by the detent 35. The locking bar 39 is provided with a right-angled extension 36 which serves as a pivoting shaft, being held thereby to the base 1 l by the loop staples 31. The detent consists of an arm of the wire from the extension 33 directed parallel to the locking bar 30 but slightly above it, and is adapted to hold the cross member IZA of the jaw 12 when the locking bar 3!) is engaged at its free pointed end 32 in the hole 3! of the return bend 21. The wire forming the detent 35 is extended upwardly and inclined rearwardly to form a cam surface 33 which is contacted by the cross member 12A of the jaw during the movement of resetting the trap, and serving to rock the locking bar 33' first upwardly to allow the cross bar I2A to go under the detent 35, following which the cross member I2A presses the locking bar downwardly through the slot 33. The cross member IZA is held between the detent 35 and the bar 30' in set condition.

The resetting of the trap is automatic by the swinging of the handle l5 and its attached jaw l2 from the sprung position (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) to the set position shown in Fig. 3. When the cross member [2A strikes the cam surface 38, it first raises and. then presses the locking bar 33 toward the base II, the free end of the locking bar passing through the slot 33 of the reset holder 28. This causes the rocking of the return bend to the position approximately as shown in Fig. 3, in which position the pointed end 32, on its upward movement from the extreme low position, will engage in the hole 3| or othe" a= ien toucl of the return bend portion 2? of the trigger. To overcome the rocking of the trigger by the bait holding portion 525, which causes the return bend portion to rock away from the pointed end so that it does not engage in the hole 25, the restricted throat is closed slightly to provide friction on the sides of the locking bar thus holding the trigger or return bend 2'3 in en gaging position until the tip or point of the end 32 of the locking bar has contacted the upper edge of the hole 3%. Normally the bait holder 25 is overbalanced on the bait holding side so that it will al ays be in position ready for setting. e bait is in place overloalancing pronounced. Therefore, in lg to engage the eturn bend before the weight the hole to move out of the g bar, the friction of the throat dent and the trap is set. In

" the downthrust of the 52A of the jaw of the ba.

locking bar, the cross member sl bs into the The trap is oi course sprung by the mouse ng the bait on the portion 22-, which leases the pointed 1.4 o the halt hoider n re i'oons the end 32 from h w ng the looking bar to release the cross The spring 2! catch the the jaw cross member iactu te.

livefi, locking into position.

of lay improved self-setting mouse he an arent. t is simple in constr vain in operation. The

u is acooin lished mereiy setting a M through a half-tori The rezne loiv posh into position for inserting g in said aperture, said having a restricted throat at the end of said slot adapted to hold said trigger in position when the end of said locking bar-is about to engage said aperture as the bar moves up from its extreme low position.

A mouse comprising a base; a pivot mounted on said base, including handle s for turn a said shaft; a jaw pivotally o" 1b on sat. pivot shaft and'adapted'to be tu- 185. there including spring means for aw; a bait pedal and trigger having an aperture adapted toenhe end of a locking bar when the trap a locking including a jaw-engaging being pivoted to said base ad the p: ion the cross-bar of aid jaw in the trap-set position; and a reset holder having a slot and extending from said bait pedal and trigger member in the path of said locking bar during the reset movement, said holder being depressible by contact beyond the inner end of said slot with said bar to rock said bait pedal and trigger in her into position for inserting the end of sad locking in said aperture, said reset holder having a restricted throat at the open end of said slot adapted to hold said trigger in position when the end of said locking bar is about to engage said aperture as the bar moves from. its extreme low position.

4. A mouse trap comprising a base; a-pivot shaft mounted said base, including handle means for turning said shaft; a jaw pivotal'ly mounted on said pivot shaft and adapted'to be turned therewith including spring .means "for actuating said jaw; a bait pedal and "trigger member rockably mounted on said pivotshaft, said trigger having an aperture adapted to 'engage the end of a lock ig bar when the "trap is set; a locking bar including a cam member adapted to be pressed by said jaw upon resetting to press said lo ng bar downwardly, and-also including a jaw-engaging detent, said "bar-being pivoted to said base adjacent the position of the cross-bar of saidjaw when in trap set position; and a reset'holder having a slot and extending from said bait pedal and trigger memher in the path of said locking bar during'the reset movement, said holder being oepressible by contact bevond the inner end of said slot with said bar to rook said'ba'it pedal and trigger member into for inserting the end of saidlocking bar in said aperture, said reset holder'having a restricted throat at the'op'en end of said slot adapted to hold said-trigger in position when the end of said loo ring bar'isab'out to engage said apergure as the bar moves "u from its extr me low position.

i-I. VAN BRUNT. 

